"We want four," the Fulham fans were chanting before the final whistle, but victory by three goals was more than enough to send the Cottagers back to west London happy. "We are not having any luck but there's not much wrong and I am certainly not too concerned about our position just yet."Middlesbrough 2 Nemeth 60, Juninho 63Leeds United 3 Sakho 16, Camara 77, Viduka 89Half-time: 0-1 Attendance: 30,414. But with the game in their grasp, Middlesbrough conceded the softest of equalisers when Pennant's well-flighted corner was met by a completely unmarked Zoumana Camara."We created enough chances to have won five or six games," said McClaren. First, on the hour, Middlesbrough deservedly equalised when Szilard Nemeth turned well in the penalty box and slipped the ball past the advancing Paul Robinson into the corner.Then Leeds could only half clear a free kick and Juninho scored with a dipping shot from the edge of the area. Clinton Morrison has never been short of a good option or six. True to form, the Birmingham City striker - who was eligible to play for England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Jamaica, but eventually opted for the Republic of Ireland - has been made an offer he can hardly refuse: lead his country to Euro 2004.
If reluctant to bite the hand that feeds him, he is confident of giving it a little nip at least on Saturday: "Can we win? Why not? They are men, we are men.". Turned down twice, Albion, uniquely, were granted a second appeal in the summer, which finally succeeded. "Artim is doing well, but he will need time to settle in," said his club manager, Gary Megson. "English football is different to the rest of Europe, and he is still coming to terms with that."So just as English cricket helps to nurture the overseas players who then put the skids under it in Test matches, the Nationwide League has been sharpening the skills of Macedonia's captain. Fourteen goals from 54 internationals is an impressive striking rate for a midfielder playing for one of Europe's weaker sides.It was Macedonia's lowly status that prevented Bolton and, initially, West Brom-wich, securing a work permit when England was first mooted as his next port of call (he had already had a trial at Aberdeen). But he gives the impression of not enjoying the notion of celebrity: "I don't want to talk about this," is the stock response to questions about Beckham, the break-up of Yugoslavia, or crowd trouble in Turkey during Macedonia's unlucky 3-2 defeat there two months ago.He even sounds a little uncomfortable talking about the corner kick that swirled over Seaman's head at St Mary's to have his countrymen dancing in the streets of Skopje.
It was not, however, a fluke, and turns out to be something he had already done in club football, for Vardar four years ago. First Division goalkeepers, David James above all, should be forearmed - even if four arms would not have been enough to help Seaman.Some of their number have already discovered that the floating flag-kick is not his only weapon: Burnley's Brian Jensen was beaten by a fearsome 30-yarder in Albion's first home game of the season. But I am a football player, not an ambassador."Following yesterday's First Division match at Derby, he is on his way home again, to be reunited with his wife and baby daughter and also to unite the nation again for England's critical game on Saturday. "In the dressing room afterwards it was unbelievable," he recalled at The Hawthorns last week.
